Let the Storm Rage On
by Neverland8
Summary: AU. Anna has never understood why her sister shut her out so long ago. One day, she asks her sister why. And to her surprise, Elsa answers. She tells Anna everything... about her powers, Anna's memories, and why Elsa stopped playing with her. Anna hatches a daring plan for her and her sister... but Elsa is still terrified that she'll hurt someone. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. In Which Anna Learns Why

Chapter One

Anna POV

_In Which_ Anna learns why her sister can't build a snowman.

Anna, eight year old princess of Arendelle, knocked on her sister's door.

She called, _"Do you want to build a snowman? Or ride our bike around the halls? I think some company is overdue; I've started talking to the pictures on the walls!"_ Anna giggled to herself at her little rhymes; it had taken her an hour to come up with them. _"It gets a little lonely, all these empty rooms, just watching the hours tick by!"_ Anna made clock sounds with her mouth to emphasize her point.

There was silence.

Anna sighed. Her and Elsa had been the best friends any human could want... until one summer's day, where Elsa spent less and less time with Anna. A few months after that, Elsa got her own room, and refused to come out for anything but the occasional holiday or party, and even then, she barely acknowledged Anna.

Elsa had to be twelve now. Anna wondered if she had forgotten what her sister looked like. But Anna didn't forget. Anna knew her sister had platinum-blonde hair- almost white- with beautiful blue eyes. Anna felt less beautiful than Elsa all the time. Anna had dark blonde hair- almost red, with a platinum-blonde streak in her hair that she was told she was born with. Anna usually put her long hair in two braids.

_"Do you want to build a snowman?"_ Anna asked again. _"It doesn't have to be a snowman!"_

This time, there wasn't silence. Instead, there was a small- but inescapable- wail from her sister's side of the room.

Instead of scared or sad, Anna grew angry. "Why do you shut me out, Elsa?" she asked before she could stop herself. _"Tell me why!"_

There was a little more silence. Then there was a tiny knock on the other side of the door. "Hello, Anna." came Elsa's voice.

Anna sat down, trying to stay mad, but failing. Anna could _never_ stay mad for long. "Why do you shut me out?" she asked again.

Elsa continued, "It wasn't my idea, Anna. But it had to be done."

"Why?"

A sigh escaped from the crack under the door. Not an exasperated sigh, but a sad one. "I'm going to tell you a story, Anna. It may seem unbelievable, but I swear that it is true. Every word I say is true."

Anna was ready to believe anything. "Go on."

"You didn't always have that streak in your hair." Elsa began. "And I didn't always shut you out. It all began when I was around three or four. I was playing in my room, and one of my paper dolls broke. I got so mad. I threw my hands in the air and screamed. And from my hands... shot ice. Pure ice."

Anna was spellbound. Elsa kept going. "I was horrified. Mother and father came in and calmed me down. Mother told me that I had been born with the powers of ice, but they never told me why; I guess they didn't even know. I thought it was the coolest thing; who else had the power of ice and snow?

"When you a baby, I made snowflakes for you to make you stop crying. As you grew older, we were inseparable. Every day, you'd wake me up early, and then we'd find some room or meadow we hadn't played in yet, and I'd create snow and ice for our amusement.

"Then, one day, when you were four years old, we went into the great hall. We built our own snowman; we named him Olaf. Do you remember?"

Anna nodded. "Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" she quoted.

"Yes." Elsa was starting to sound sad. "Then you started leaping from snowpiles. You kept going faster and faster, and I couldn't make snowmounds fast enough. I slipped, and you started to fall, unaware of what was happening. I screamed, and involuntarily, I shot ice at you. It hit you in the head, and you rolled over onto the snow."

Anna was gripping the carpet. She was scared for her past self, even though she had turned out okay. But still... Anna couldn't remember any of this.

"I was terrified." Elsa was obviously suffering pain even thinking about these memories. "The ice and snow went wild. A platinum-blonde streak appeared in your hair. I scream for our parents. They came.

"They took us to a group of trolls. They healed you, but changed your memories of my magic to memories of normal life. They explained to me that my magic was powerful, but Fear was my enemy, and if it controlled me, I wouldn't be able to control my powers.

"I've been working on controlling my powers ever since. Mother and Father reduced the staff and shut me away from all human contact, except for them, and the maid who delivers my food."

Anna was horrified. "You mean, you didn't want to leave me?"

"No! Of course not. I love you, Anna, but it's Mother's and Father's wish. Maybe, when I have control of my powers..."

Anna couldn't resist the urge to peek through the bottom of the door. She saw the normal floor. Elsa, however, must have figured out what Anna was doing. "Anna, step back. Watch the bottom of the door."

Anna did as her sister asked. To her astonishment, snowflakes flew through the bottom of the door. _It's winter, though._ thought Anna, but that didn't stop her believing. "That was you?"

"Yes." Elsa sounded downcast. "So now you know."

Anna crawled back to the door. "But you can't learn to control your powers like that!"

"Why not?" Elsa asked, confused.

"Because you're _living_ in a state of fear." Anna explained. "Fear that you'll hurt someone else. Fear that you'll lose all love. Besides, what did Bestla always tell us?"

Anna could almost feel Elsa smile at the thought of their clumsy old nanny that they used to poke fun of, but secretly admired for all she did. "There is no fear in love," Anna's sister recalled. "but perfect love casts out fear."

"Exactly." Anna grinned. "What kind of love can you have if your life is nothing but fear? Mother and Father must be tyrants for locking you up."

"They thought it was best." Elsa defended.

"Well, they thought wrong." Anna concluded. "They obviously never considered that."

"What are we going to do about it?" Elsa skeptically asked.

Anna thought for less than a second before she came to a conclusion. "We'll just have to leave, then."


	2. In Which Anna Escapes the Palace

Chapter Two

Anna POV

_In Which_ Anna Escapes the Palace

"Leave?" Elsa asked, stunned. "You mean, leave the palace?"

"Of course!" Anna giggled. "What else would I mean?"

"B-b-b-but..." Elsa protested, "What about my powers? What if I hurt you?"

"You won't hurt me!" Anna rolled her eyes. "We'll be really careful! We can go to the North Mountains, and live in a place where you don't have to live in fear!"

Elsa couldn't protest more. There was no stopping Anna now.

"Here's the plan." Anna began, as if she had been planning this forever- which she hadn't. "I'll escape tonight. I've been so bored these last four years, I can't even tell you, but now I know all the secret passages by heart. I can escape easily and hide somewhere on the grounds where no-one will find me. I'll wait a day, and then talk to you outside your window. If you can easily escape without anyone noticing, then we'll sneak out your window, grab a couple horses, then head up to the North Mountain. If we get fast horses, it should only take a day or two. By the time everyone notices you're gone, it'll be too late! They'll never find us!"

"I never agreed to this..." Elsa began.

"I didn't ask you too." Anna put her hand on the door. "Elsa, I can't live alone for the rest of my life. And now that I know this, I can't let you live in fear for the rest of yours. Trust me, if the plan goes wrong, it was all me."

Elsa sighed. "All you." she repeated, slowly and sadly.

* * *

Anna was a popular princess, so it was easy for her to go into the kitchen and get a week's supply of food without questions. A few of the cooks rolled their eyes and giggled at each other, but Anna managed to sneak it all into her bag. She packed her favorite clothes and toys, and then hid her bag under her bed. She figured that she wouldn't need weapons; Elsa had ice and snow powers, and could defend them easily. Anna then pulled out the map of the tunnels she had constructed, and studied it further.

That night, as she was finishing packing up her bag, there was a soft knock on the door. Anna shoved her bag under her bed and then laid on it, kicking her sheets carelessly. "Come in." she smiled nervously.

Anna's mother came in. Her brown hair was done up simply. "Hello, Anna." she called.

"Hey." Anna laughed. "How's it going?"

The Queen glanced around the room. "Why aren't you dressed for bed?"

"Didn't feel like it."

The Queen nodded. She didn't question Anna. "Well... goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mama." Anna waved as her mother suspiciously closed the door.

Anna grinned and slung her bag- with the map safely inside it- over her shoulder. She ran over to her wall and removed a plank of wood. There was a large passageway behind it, but it was a tight squeeze getting in. However, Anna managed it, and then put the plank back over the entrance. She took out her handheld clock. It was 8:34. _I'll find Elsa at 10:00 tomorrow._ Anna decided, and then continued down the passageway until she came to a large room that was just underneath Elsa's tower, according to her calculations.

Anna pulled out a lantern, lit it with two sticks she had packed, and then pulled out a book titled _Oliver Twist._ She started reading, knowing that she had a long time to wait.

**(AN: Yeah, I'm assuming that _Frozen_ takes place in our universe around 1850, so I put in _Oliver Twist_. Fun!)**


	3. In Which Elsa Makes a Decision

Chapter Three

Elsa POV

_In Which_ Elsa makes her decision.

Elsa was sitting against her door. She'd been sitting there since Anna had left.

Elsa didn't want to leave the palace. She loved her mother. She loved her father. She didn't want to hurt anyone on accident.

But Anna was leaving. Elsa figured that Anna would leave with or without her. Elsa needed to make a decision.

She covered her face in her gloved hands. What was she gonna do?

The next morning, at exactly 9:00, Elsa heard screaming and running beneath her room. She figured that that was the servants, discovering that Anna was missing. She went to her bed, and switched clothing. Her parents usually didn't go to her room unless she called for them, but this was big- this was a missing princess.

Around 1:00, Elsa heard two people come up the stairs. She braced herself for the news that her sister was missing.

Her parents came to the door. She could almost hear them about to knock. She walked towards the door to meet them.

Then she heard a sigh. "We can't do this." said her mother.

"She deserves to know." her father responded.

"It'll only make her more terrified." her mother groaned. "We can't scare her. It'll make her powers worse. We'll let her know if she asks."

Elsa paused, waiting for her father to come in anyway.

He didn't.

She waited for another half-hour, until she realized that her parents had left. She collapsed on her bed.

She knew what she was going to tell Anna.

* * *

That night, at 10:00, Anna knocked on Elsa's window.

Elsa climbed out of her bed, fully dressed. She had her hair in the ceremonial coronation hairstyle... she wanted something to remind her that she was still part of Arendelle. She pulled a knapsack out from under her bed and placed a note on her made bed. She looked at her sister for the first time in months.

Anna gasped in delight when she saw her sister. Elsa grinned and opened the window. Anna reached out and touched her sister's arm. "Elsa..."

"Anna..."

The two sisters hugged. Anna looked down at Elsa's knapsack. "You're coming, then?"

"Yes." Elsa admitted. "It'll be at least a month before someone notices that I'm gone. The maid who brings my food isn't very intelligent, and she won't mention that my food goes uneaten. Mother and Father usually only come when I call. We'll be safe."

Anna smiled. "Let's go, then." She slid down the roof slowly, landing on her feet towards the bottom.

Elsa climbed through the window, then tried to move. She turned around and saw her glove snagged on a small tack on the window.

"Elsa, come on!" Anna called.

Elsa pulled, but her glove came off. She tried to pull it off the tack, but it stayed put.

"Elsa!"

Elsa abandoned her glove and followed Anna. Anna squealed with excitement. "Come on, then! We're going to the North Mountain!"


	4. In Which Elsa Lets it Go

**(AN: HOLY CRAP! I have 11 Follows and 5 Favorites! *cries* Thank you so much! I also would like to say, for this chapter... no, I could not deny Elsa the privilege of singing this song, though I'm picturing 21-year-old Elsa instead of 12-year-old Elsa, which is a flaw in my brilliant plan. Anyway, this is more _Let it Go_ than fanfiction, but we return to fanfiction in the next chapter where we are introduced to OLAF!)**

Chapter Four

Elsa POV

_In Which_ Elsa Lets it Go

The horses tore through the forest.

They had chosen the swiftest horses in the stable, but they seemed terrified of the magical princess. Elsa couldn't blame them. She held her ungloved hand close to her chest, trying not to set off any ice that might leave a trail.

Anna was next to Elsa, urging her to race with her. Anna cheered whenever the horses picked up speed, but Elsa just kept her eyes shut and gripped the reigns with one hand.

It was almost dawn by the time the princesses reached the top of the mountain. Anna jumped off of the saddle, and helped her older sister off. "Well, we're here." she stated.

"Yes we are." Elsa nodded, glancing around warily.

"I'll go find a place to set the horses loose." Anna told Elsa. They had agreed upon this course of action at the palace; they'd set the horses loose somewhere far away, where they'd be safe but of no use to any search parties. "You'll stay here... right?"

"Where'll I go?" Elsa shrugged.

Anna giggled and ran off, with the horses following her.

Elsa glanced around. She wondered what she was to do. She didn't want to hurt Anna... and now she had nobody _but_ Anna.

Elsa glanced up at the snowflakes falling around her.

_"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen..."_

_"A Kingdom of Isolation, and it looks like I'm the Queen."_

Elsa gripped her shoulders, as if she was cold. _"The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside..."_

_"Couldn't keep it in, Heaven knows I tried."_

Elsa wasn't aware of what she was doing, exactly. She started repeating what her father so often told her.

_"Don't let them in, Don't let them see."_

_"Be the good girl you always have to be."_

_"Conceal, don't feel; don't let them know..."_

Suddenly angry, Elsa tore off her remaining glove and watched it fly away in the wind. _"Well, now they know!"_

_"Let it go, Let it go."_ to her own amusement, Elsa started creating snowflakes out of her hands.

_"Can't hold it back anymore."_ Elsa smiled as she created a replica of Olaf, the snowman she and Anna had created on the day Anna got her streak.

_"Let it go, let it go."_ Elsa created whole trails of snowflakes, and watched them fly through the air.

_"Turn away and slam the door!"_ Elsa threw her arms out, and the snowflakes fell to the ground.

_"I don't care what they're going to say..."_

_"Let the storm rage on!"_

Elsa hadn't realized she'd been singing. With a smile, she threw her cloak off and watched it fly away in the wind. _"The cold never bothered me anyway..."_

* * *

Elsa started walking towards a gap between mountains... the perfect place for a staircase. She glanced back at the direction of Arendelle. _"It's funny how some distance,"_

_"Makes everything seem small."_

_"And the fears that once controlled me,"_

Elsa ran at the gap, gleeful. _"Can't get to me at all!"_

Elsa threw her arms back and then tossed them in the direction of the gap, and grinned as a staircase of snow was created. _"It's time to see what I can do,"_

_"To test the limits and break through!"_

Elsa ran at the staircase. She could almost touch it. _"No right, no wrong, no rules for me!"_

She stepped on it. The snow parted to reveal ice. Elsa began to climb swiftly. _"I'm FREE!"_

_"Let it Go! Let it Go!" _Elsa threw her arms out as she climbed, and watched from the corner of her eye as the snow-staircase turned to an ice-staircase. _"I am one with the wind and sky!"_

_"Let it go! Let it go!" _Elsa ran off the staircase, and started twirling. _"You'll never see me cry!"_

_"Here I STAND!"_ On "Stand", Elsa stomped on the ground, creating a snowflake-shaped floor of ice. _"And Here I'll stay! Let the Storm Rage on!"_

Elsa threw her arms up, and pillars of ice rose, creating the bottom of an ice palace. _"My power flurries through the air into the ground..."_

Walls began to circle the palace, and then a roof began to take shape over it. _"My soul is spiraling in FROZEN fractals all around!"_

An icy chandelier began to form in the center of the peaked roof. _"And one thought chrysalises like an icy blast!"_

Elsa pulled a tiara off her head and glared at it, then threw it away. _"I'm never going back! The past is in the Past!"_

_"Let it GO! Let it_ _GO!"_ Elsa grabbed her bun and shook it out, turning it into a french braid. She pulled the hair on top of it back, and placed the braid on her shoulder.

_"And I'll rise like the break of dawn!"_ A dress- made entirely out of ice- began to inch its way up Elsa, turning her normal dress into a magical one.

_"Let it go, let it go!" _Elsa stretched out her arms to welcome the completion of the dress, and a small spark flashed, turning her hair snow-white. _"That perfect girl is gone!"_

A cape now appeared behind Elsa. Elsa walked towards her ice-balcony, continuing her song. _"Here I stand, in the light of day!"_

The sun was now rising. Elsa smiled even wider.

_"Let the storm rage ON!" _Elsa threw out her arms.

_"The cold never bothered me anyway."_ Elsa swung her cape, then vanished into her palace, to await Anna's return.


	5. In Which Anna Discovers Something

**(AN: Sorry I was gone for so long. I went to DisneyWorld and have funny stories about Mérida! Unfortunately, she threatened to shoot me if I told anyone, so I won't. Wow! 7 favorites! I can't thank you guys enough!)**

Chapter Five

Anna POV

_In Which_ Anna discovers something interesting

"Elsa?" Anna called. "Elsa?"

Anna was wondering where her sister ran off to. She couldn't have gone far, but Anna was wondering how long she'd have to wait for her to come back.

Anna heard a small sound, that sounded like singing. She listened closely, but could only catch three words.

_"Cold... bothered... anyway..."_

Anna followed the sound up the hill. She gasped when she saw a staircase out of ice, covering a gap in the mountains. What surprised her even more was what was at the top of the staircase. She saw a large palace- not as big as Arendelle palace, but still huge- made out of ice, with several towers. There was a balcony, and snowflakes were falling from it gently, obviously meaning that Elsa had just left there. Anna slowly ascended the staircase, whistling softly at how detailed it was, and how powerful Elsa must be already.

Anna finally made it to the door, and, glancing over her shoulder, knocked.

The doors opened.

"That's a first." Anna muttered, and continued in. "Elsa?"

Anna admired the details of the inside of the castle, and then began climbing another set of stairs. "Elsa?"

"Anna!"

Anna looked startled. Elsa was stunningly beautiful. She had a dress and cape _made out of ice_, and snowflakes– _real_ _snow__flakes_– decorating her braid. Her hair wasn't platinum blonde anymore; it was snow-white.

"You look really different." Anna informed her sister.

"I feel different." Elsa responded.

Anna smiled sheepishly. Now was the time that they could do something together! "So... what do you want to do?"

Elsa thought for a moment. "I think..."

"Yes?"

"I think I want to build a snowman."

Anna squealed with delight. "Great!"

"Let me show you something!" Elsa said, then grabbed Anna's hand and ran down the stairs.

"Whoa!" Anna followed with difficulty. Elsa was ecstatic, and Anna could barely keep up.

Elsa was truly- finally- free.

For now.

* * *

"It's this way!" Elsa said, helping Anna off of the ice staircase.

"What is it?" Anna asked.

"Let me show you!" Elsa told her, then ran off, with Anna following. Anna didn't ask for her to slow down; it was obvious that Elsa was finally happy.

Suddenly, Elsa stopped, startled. Anna slid through the snow and collided with Elsa, sending them both sprawling to the ground. They both giggled. Elsa helped Anna up, and cast a worried look to an empty spot in the snow. "It's gone."

"What is?" Anna was suddenly worried. "What's missing?"

Elsa glanced around. "Maybe I built it somewhere else."

"What are we looking for?" Anna asked again.

"Olaf." Elsa responded. "I built a replica of Olaf, and I swear it was _right here_."

Anna grinned. Building Olaf was one of the best memories she had of her and her sister, even if it had been a little fake. "Are you sure?"

Elsa turned around, about to respond, then froze. "Anna... there's something behind you..."

Anna turned around. Olaf was standing right there.

"Hi! I'm Olaf!" the snowman said.

Anna screamed and kicked, knocking his head off.

"Whoa!" Olaf, still smiling, ran over to where his head was and put it back on upside-down.

"The snowman is talking." Elsa muttered.

"I know." Anna responded.

Olaf ran over. "Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

Anna looked over at Elsa as Olaf hugged her leg. "Elsa... you _created_ a _living snowman_."

Elsa came over and flinched as Olaf moved on to her leg. "Yeah... I guess that's cool."

Olaf let go of Elsa and looked at the two princesses. "And you are..."

"Oh! I'm Anna!" said the younger princess.

"I'm Elsa." said the older.

Olaf looked around. "Well, this is a nice place. Do you live here?"

Anna and Elsa smiled at each other. Elsa was the one who responded.

"We do now."


	6. In Which Anna Skates on Thin Ice

**(AN: Hi! I finally updated! I'm so happy! Yay!)**

Chapter Six

Anna POV

_In Which_ Anna Skates on Thin Ice

Anna woke up the next day on a bed made out of ice.

"I'm cold." she mumbled, and blinked a few times, unsure of where she was. She turned over and noticed a blanket of frost and pillows of snow. _What?_

Then Anna remembered. She was in a castle that Elsa built. She was with her sister.

Anna squealed and jumped to her feet. She changed into normal clothing and took off through a hallway, slipping and falling on her bottom several times. She laughed each time. Finally, she reached a large door made out of ice, with two snowflakes engraved in it. Anna didn't bother to knock; she charged in.

The sun had only just risen, and it coated the room in a brilliant light. Elsa was asleep on her own icy, frost-covered bed, and she was smiling. She must be having a good dream.

Anna paused at the doorway, grinning at her sister. Then she leapt onto the bed. "Elsa!" she yelled. "Elsa, wake up!"

Elsa groaned, still smiling. "Let me sleep some more, Anna."

"The sky's awake!" Anna protested. "So I'm awake! So we have to play!"

Elsa groaned again, and opened one eye. "Where's Olaf?"

Anna shrugged.

Elsa slowly got up and yawned. She was still wearing her ice dress. "Well, let's find him before he gets into trouble and blows our cover."

Anna laughed. "Let's go!"

The two sisters found Olaf on the bottom floor of the ice palace. He was skating on a "fountain," where the water was frozen over. The girls just laughed.

* * *

The girls had fun every day.

The first few days, Elsa refused to even go within a few feet of Anna, and didn't use her powers all that often– all those years of isolation had an effect on her. Anna could hear her cry at night. One night, Anna simply walked into Elsa's room and sat on her bed, and cried with her.

"I miss Mama and Papa." Elsa confided in Anna.

"So do I." Anna admitted. "But we'll see them again as soon as you get full control of your powers. Then we can all be a family again."

After that night, Elsa was more open with Anna. Elsa created snow playgrounds for Anna to enjoy, and would often have magical snowball fights with her sister and Olaf. Every day, Elsa became more and more ready to play. One day, she woke up before Anna and had to drag _her _out of bed.

Olaf loved everything. He was positively gleeful every time Elsa made snowflakes for fun, and often joined the sisters in their games.

The only problem with the snowman was that he was fascinated with summer, but the North Mountain was always snowy. Elsa and Anna would let him visit nearby villages with a flurry to keep him from melting, but were still worried that he would be seen and connected with them. Fortunately, after the first few times he was spotted, Olaf stayed far away from any other people, though if he found a kid lost in the woods, he would have a snowball fight with them for hours, and then help them get back, which Elsa and Anna thought was wonderful.

One day, almost a month after they left, something happened.

* * *

"It's okay Anna, just hold my hand."

Anna nodded, still unsure of herself. Elsa wanted her to ice skate with her, and had frozen over a nearby lake for this purpose, but Anna didn't know how. Anna reached out and grabbed Elsa's hand for the first time since they were children.

Elsa's hand was cold.

Elsa led Anna out onto the ice. Elsa was a natural at ice skating– probably because she was the Snow Princess, or maybe she had been practicing in her room– but Anna kept falling over onto her back.

"The picture of sophisticated grace." Elsa mumbled, laughing as Anna fell over for the thirty-fifth time.

"I think I can do it this time!" Anna declared, and stood up. "Thirty-sixth time's the charm, right?"

"Go ahead and think that, Anna." Elsa rolled her eyes happily.

Anna stood up and tried skating. It was hard to keep her balance, but Anna spread her arms out and wobbled a little.

"Try moving a bit more." Elsa told her.

Anna nodded and skated forward slowly. She moved a little more. "I... I think I'm doing it, Elsa."

"Good job, Anna!"

Anna grinned and slid forward some more. "Hey, this is fun!"

"Try going faster!" Elsa cheered.

Anna grinned, and moved faster. "Come on, Elsa!"

Elsa moved closer to her sister, cheering. Anna moved a little farther.

After a few more minutes, Anna was going towards the middle of the lake. "Come on!"

"Anna, stop!" Elsa shouted, suddenly fearful. "The ice looks a little thin down there!"

"It's magic, Elsa. It won't break!" Anna grinned.

"Anna, stop! You're still not very good, and you won't be able to come back if it's too thin!" Elsa announced.

Anna moved forward a little more, and suddenly found that it was a lot harder to move on. She fell over twice.

Elsa moved closer to Anna. "Anna, stop!"

Anna stopped. She glanced down at the ice and noticed that it was a dark gray. She tried turning around, but heard a crack somewhere near her. She froze, half-facing Elsa, half-facing the rest of the lake. "Elsa... I'm sorry... I didn't... I wasn't thinking..."

"It's okay, Anna." Elsa said. "I'll try to fix it."

"What are you gonna do?" Anna asked.

"I can't create snow on the ice, in case it breaks." Elsa informed her. "And I don't know how to thicken the ice. So just stay there while I get something for you to grab on to."

Anna nodded, and Elsa started making an icicle on the nearest tree. It was stretching out towards Anna, and looked like it would be just above Anna's head. Anna took a couple deep breaths, and there was another small crack in the ice. This one was a bit closer to her feet. "Elsa, please hurry!"

"I'm trying!" Elsa looked worried. "Just hold on."

Anna started to freak out. She didn't dare move, but she kept an eye on the icicle that was moving faster towards her.

Finally, the icicle went past her head. Anna jumped up and grabbed on to it with both hands. That was a hard feat, considering that she was wearing mittens and the icicle was slippery.

"Thanks!" Anna shouted.

"Just hold still while I bring it towards the shore." Elsa ordered, and started moving her hands towards the snow.

Unfortunately, Anna couldn't hold on for long.

The icicle dripped. Anna slipped. The youngest princess of Arendelle fell right back on to the ice. The ice broke.

"Anna!" Elsa screamed as her sister went down into the water.

* * *

The water was freezing.

Honestly, it wasn't even that cold out, but Elsa's ice must have affected the water's temperature. Anna had never felt more cold in her life... at least, that she could remember.

And what did she remember anyway?

Anna must have started having delusions, because she swore that she saw someone above the crack in the ice, trying to get her out, and it wasn't Elsa.

Anna tried swimming up, but her arms felt numb. She wasn't sure if she was even moving at all. She wasn't sure if she was still. She was cold. And she couldn't breathe.

Little black dots started swimming towards her eyes. Anna didn't wave them off; she was too busy trying to make it to the surface. She saw a small rope fall towards her, and she grabbed it.

The rope started pulling her towards the surface. She heard a small scream.

That's when Anna blacked out.

* * *

_"The sky is awake! So I am awake! So we have to play!"_

_"Do you want to build a snowman?"_

_"Shh!"_

_"Do the magic, Elsa!"_

_"This is amazing!"_

_"Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"_

_"I love you, Olaf!"_

_"Catch me, Elsa!"_

_"Slow down!"_

_"Whee!"_

_"ANNA!"_

_"Oof!"_

_"Mama! Papa!"_

* * *

Anna blinked and opened her eyes. Elsa was standing over her, looking worried. A boy was there, too, about Elsa's age. Anna didn't know him.

"Do the magic, Elsa." Anna muttered. She remembered saying that. She remembered Elsa freezing the ballroom. And the palace. It was a little foggy, but she had been young when it happened. She couldn't remember anything after something had hit her in the head, though. Something cold.

"Anna?" Elsa asked. She started hugging her sister tightly. "Anna... I'm so sorry..."

"My fault." Anna muttered. She still felt cold, but she noticed that she was in front of a fire, trying to stay warm.

"What were you thinking, going out on thin ice like that?" the boy asked. "You could have easily been killed."

"Who..." Anna began to ask, then coughed some more.

"Someone who walked by and noticed your stupidity." the boy huffed. "Thankfully, your sister helped me pull you out of the water. You only blacked out when you were close enough for us to grab you."

Anna looked around. They were in Elsa's ice castle. Nothing appeared to be melting, but instead looked more frozen than usual. The ice looked a bit red, though, but it was slowly turning blue again. There was a young reindeer in the corner of the palace, nuzzling around their food supply.

"Where's Olaf?" Anna asked.

"Still down at the village." Elsa told her.

"Olaf?" the boy asked. "Is that your brother or something?"

"You could say that." Elsa responded.

Anna was starting to feel a little warmer. She stood up.

"Whoa." the boy whistled, and started feeling her forehead. He shook his head in disbelief. "There is no way you could have gotten that warm that fast."

"Elsa's magic." Anna stated. She coughed again. "She has powers over the cold."

The boy nodded. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Please don't tell anyone where we are." Elsa said, standing up. "We're not really supposed to be here."

"I can respect that." the boy said. He whistled, and the reindeer ran over. "We have to go."

"Go where?" Anna asked.

"Our family will be worried about us." the boy responded, not exactly answering her question. "Come on, Sven."

The boy started to leave. "He doesn't really seem to mind all the magic stuff." Anna whispered to her sister.

Elsa nodded. "I guess not."

Anna called after the boy, "Hey! At least tell us your name!"

The boy turned around right before he left. "Kristoff."

**(AN: Yeah, I don't claim to be an expert on ice skating, so if I suck at describing how Anna got better, let's just say that Elsa was helping her with the ice.)**


	7. In Which Elsa Sees the Lights

Chapter Seven

Elsa POV

_In Which_ Elsa Sees the Lights

The sisters were silent for a while. "I'm sorry." Elsa said again.

"It's fine." Anna told her. "I was stupid."

"You weren't stupid. I should have stopped you."

"It was my fault I fell through and it was my fault you were isolated all these years." Anna told her, then coughed some more.

"It wasn't your fault at all." Elsa told her.

"I guess I never knew how selfish I've always been until I remembered." Anna informed her sister. "I'm always trying to go one step beyond, but I guess doing that led to me falling through the ice, and getting you locked in your room."

"I'm sorry I made you skate with me." Elsa told her sister, as she put out the fire. "I should have just done it myself."

"It's not your fault." Anna told her. "It's mine."

They were silent for another while. "Why don't we just stop blaming ourselves and put it behind us?" Anna asked.

"So soon?" Elsa asked mockingly.

Anna continued, "Yep. The past is in the past, right?"

Elsa nodded. "Sure."

They looked at each other. "What day is it?" Anna asked.

Elsa told her.

"Oh!" Anna grabbed her sister's hand. "Come this way!"

"Where are we going?" Elsa asked.

"Your balcony! Just be quiet and watch the sky!" Anna told her.

* * *

"We've been here for an hour, Anna, and I don't see anything." Elsa informed her sister.

"It should happen any moment now." Anna whispered. "Shh!"

Elsa looked up at the sky again, not really understanding. "Can I get a hint?"

Anna thought for a second. "What happened today over the past few years?"

Elsa thought hard. "It was around this time that I moved out of your room."

"Yeah, like I want to be reminded of _that_." Anna rolled her eyes. "In another kingdom, maybe?"

Elsa thought hard, and then looked up and gasped.

A single lantern floated in the sky.

"What..." Elsa began before more lanterns followed the first. Her eyes widened. Anna squealed silently, then sat on the railing. Elsa pulled her down and, eyes still on the thousands of lanterns, made ice chairs for her and Anna. Anna sat down and gripped Elsa's hand excitedly, while Elsa sat down slowly, watching the lights.

"I've seen those before." Elsa told her after a few minutes. "From my window. I never asked what they were."

"They're lanterns."

"Obviously. What for?"

"The lost princess of Corona." Anna told her. "One of our neighboring kingdoms. She was kidnapped as a baby, so every night on her birthday lanterns are sent up for their lost princess. It represents the sun, or something, but I don't know why."

"Do you think any of those lanterns are for us?" Elsa asked. "We're lost princesses, too, I guess."

"Maybe." Anna broke into a grin. "We should go find her."

"The lost princess?" Elsa inquired.

"Yeah!" Anna looked at her sister. "We have the world, now, Elsa. We can do anything!"

They watched the lanterns some more. Quietly, Elsa stuck her arms in front of her, palms of her hands up. Frost swirled, and Anna broke her sight away from the lanterns for a second to watch. The frost collected itself, and it stuck in the shape of two lanterns. Anna grinned, and silently, the sisters released the lanterns. Once they were high enough, Elsa waved her hands, and the lanterns turned into a gentle snowfall, that fell on the two princesses of Arendelle.

**(AN: Yeah, a Tangled reference. I know. But what are you gonna do, Rapunzel and Eugene were freaking _in_ Frozen! Oh, and happy belated Frozen-was-released-on-DVD-in-the-US-and-maybe-other-countries-but-I-don't-really-know-so-I-can't-say day!)**


End file.
